Is it too early to ask if I can take a mulligan on this entire week already? Turns out there was power at work on Monday, just not until 10am or so. So I’m out a day of vacation that I don’t have there. Then there’s yesterday. Didn’t get in to work until 11:30. Lose another couple hours. And then spend most of the day fighting with the computers that didn’t much appreciate having their power yoinked on Monday morning and both computers had hard drive problems. And now word comes that we’re due for more snow beginning tonight, and snarling the entire workday on Thursday. Are you sure it’s too early for a mulligan?
One other thing about Monday - when I asked whether it would cost a day off or not, since there was no power, the reply was that most people worked from home. Makes sense, but one of the reasons this job was attractive was that it was not at home. I worked from home for seven years, and at this point, I really like being able to come home and be away from work. So it’s an unpaid day on Monday for me. And maybe another tomorrow.
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| Downtown Minneapolis from the Stone Arch Bridge |
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Regarding yesterday’s garage-door-opener headache, it turned out that fixing the old one would have been $150, and a brand-spankin’-new one was $345. With a five-year warranty. I ponied up the money and just got the new one. It’s a lot better machine, and I didn’t feel ripped-off at all. But that’s probably why the repair guy had a new opener riding around in his truck.
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| Downtown Minneapolis |
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Today’s pictures are interesting to compare. The one on the left is an HDR-processed one, and the one on the right is the only picture from another set I took to process that didn’t have any wiggle in it, so it’s pretty much “straight.” I’m pretty sure I like the straight one better, mostly because it doesn’t have the jiggle and halos that mar the processed one. And I got lucky and got the right exposure that actually has both good highlight and shadow detail.
I dunno. I think I’m going to need to experiment more, but I also think I prefer more time spent getting the composition and exposure right, and less time at the computer. Once I get better with my camera-technique, maybe I’ll be able to produce more interesting shots using the computer, but it’s not as exciting to me as I thought it might be.
- A Judge brings stoplight cameras to screeching halt in Minneapolis, ruling that they’re unconstitutional under Minnesota law because it ticketed the owner of the car, requiring them to prove they weren’t driving, rather than requiring the government to prove guilt. What a novel concept! [press-patch]
- A federal Judge to Order Google to Give Up Some Data to help the Department of Justice try to prove that kids can get to pornography on the internets. This isn’t an attempt to solve some crime, it’s an attempt to gather statistics to push the agenda of some in the administration. Google should tell them to go pound sand. Or at least get a big check for the data. I’d like to see just where in the Constitution goverment is authorized to extort information out of private entities. [fark!]
- Our local airline, NWA saves you an aisle seat–for $15. How incredibly generous of them. I’ve got two bits of travelling I’m trying to plan for this summer, and I’m going to be looking very hard for alternatives to NWA. Sadly, I suspect I’ll end up flying in a plane with a red tail anyhow. [fark!]
- Finally, I’m sorely tempted to buy this bed that I spotted in a catalog that arrived in the mail yesterday while I was waiting for the guy to show up to fix things. I think it would round out the bedroom nicely, but at $4400? That’s enough to give me pause. It would fit in the room, and look pretty cool, but is it almost five grand (with tax and shipping) worth of cool? What do you think?